I got a new iPhone from Walmart on 11/25/2018 and got it activated with Verizon with the full prize of the phone being paid i.e. $1250 approx. But then I come to know that somehow T-mobile has locked my phone. Went to Apple Store, called 1800-MY-APPLE, went to T-mobile store and also called T-mobile customer service but no one is helping me. BUT everyone knows that it is locked by T-mobile. T-mobile says that can't unlock the phone because I don't have an account with them. Then my question is that why did you guys LOCK MY PHONE. $1250 paid upfront for a phone and then getting it locked by a carrier which I don't even use.

Kindly help me out with this situation. I can share my IMEI number if you guys want to know that.

Walmart sells phones that carrier locks to the first Sim card inserted into the phone so if you dint insert a t-mobile Sim into the phone then Walmart sold you a returned phone or one that a clerk that was taking for a test drive on the t-mobile network.

This happens frequently. You've run afoul of Apple's Reseller Flex Program. Since you first used a Verizon SIM, the phone should not be locked to T-Mobile. Someone must have inserted a T-Mobile SIM into the phone. Your beef is with Apple or maybe with Walmart or maybe the person who tested your phone with a T-Mobile SIM. T-Mobile did nothing to your phone.

I am using my Lycamobile SIM card in the phone right now. And I contacted them and they said that they never lock phones (mvno). My speculation is that I used to have T-mobile service 2 years ago and then I ported to Lycamobile (for good international calling plan) and that caused it to lock it with T-mobile. I have tried to provide my account number which is not active as of now along with the pin. The account can be pulled and even the new phone details can be pulled with IMEI. I understand Apple's Reseller Flex Program but when I didn't have an active connection with T-mobile, my phone shouldn't be locked by T-mobile. At least there should be a facility by which these kind of issue be handled by T-mobile. Or maybe there can be a way out where I can get a temporary service from T-mobile and link my phone (IMEI) to that new account and get my phone unlocked by keeping the service for some specific number of days.

A Lycamobile SIM effectively looks the same, to the phone, as a T-Mobile SIM. So, what happened is that the phone locked itself to Lycamobile when you inserted their SIM. I'm not sure who you need to have sort this out with. Just be aware that this is not T-Mobile's doing. They didn't reach out and "lock your phone". It's a result of Walmart selling a phone under Apple's Reseller Flex Program and not informing the buyer about how it works. The only way I know of to get an iPhone phone that won't SIM lock itself is to buy an unlocked phone directly from Apple.

I went to T-mobile store and the lady from the store called T-mobile and they checked my IMEI in T-mobile system. They said that it shows locked in T-mobile system. They email had a conference call with Apple and Apple said that it's a carrier issue and they can't replace the phone under warranty. I don't understand even when T-mobile can see a phone (IMEI) locked in their system why can't they find a solution to unlock it. The phone is already paid and doesn't belong to T-mobile. BTW even Apple can see it as locked by T-mobile in their system.

This is the way it always plays out. Someone uses a T-Mobile (or in this case Lyca) SIM in an "unlocked" iPhone. The phone locks itself to T-Mobile. Apple blames T-Mobile. T-Mobile says, "We didn't do it. How can it be our fault." If you were a T-Mobile customer, the phone's unlock codes would eventually show up in T-Mobile's system linked to your IMSI (SIM ID) and they could authorize the unlock but you aren't, so Catch-22. The important thing to remember is that T-Mobile didn't do anything. It's all because of Apple's stupid Reseller Flex policy. You bought an paid Walmart for an unlocked phone and got cheated (IMHO).

Ah okay. You'll wanna use the Facebook or Twitter links on our Contact Us page. You'll also need to mention you no longer have an account now but you did get the confirmation that the device was unlocked prior to the deactivation.

So, I contacted T-Force via Twitter. Had to explain them the whole issue again. They reprocessed the unlock request and I received an email from T-Mobile saying that it cannot be unlocked because the phone number that I gave them is no longer used with this IMEI. It's true because I was using T-Mobile 2 years ago.

I contacted them again in the same message thread on Twitter and this time the representative said that he is going to override the unlock request and I should get an unlock email again. Got the email in 15 minutes and I after 36 hours when I tried the unlock process via iTunes the phone was successfully unlocked.

My advice to anyone who face this situation would be to reach T-Force on Twitter or Facebook and explain them the whole issue. Seems like they have the authority to process and override unlock requests in genuine cases.

Thank you tmo_mike_c for understanding the issue and for your concern. Now I will be giving this phone as a gift to my dad which it was supposed to be.

I hope higher officials of T-Mobile go thru this thread of mine and read each and every reply (from T-Mobile guys) and appreciate employees like tmo_mike_c who has been a great support.